Partnership Bringing New Recycling Carts to Atlanta

About 65,000 of them will be delivered this fall through a new partnership between the Curbside Value Partnership and city departments.

Sep 20, 2012

A new partnership between the Curbside Value Partnership, the City of Atlanta Office of the Mayor, Office of Sustainability. and Department of Public Works is bringing new, 96-gallon, blue recycling carts to 65,000 city households beginning in mid-October.

The citywide distribution is part of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's sustainability platform, which has a long-term goal of achieving 90 percent diversion of municipal waste by 2020, according to CVP, which is a 501(c)(3) organization created to increase participation in curbside recycling programs nationwide. To date, 30 communities and four states are participating, with the program currently funded by members of the Aluminum Association (Alcoa, Tri-Arrow Aluminum, and Novelis), Can Manufacturers Institute (Ardagh Group, Ball Corporation, BWAY Corporation, Crown Holdings Inc., Metal Container Corporation, Rexam, Silgan Containers Corporation, Sonoco-Phoenix Inc., and the Van Can Company), the American Chemistry Council, Coca Cola Recycling, Grocery Manufacturers Association, International Bottled Water Association, and Keep America Beautiful.

"One of my goals as mayor is to see Atlanta become one of the top sustainable cities in the country," said Reed. "Recycling is an important component to being a sustainable city, especially since Georgia has a strong in-state market for many commodities, the second-highest state in the U.S. Rolling out these new recycling carts will make it easier for residents to recycle more.

"I also believe we are taking another positive step forward by partnering with CVP," he added. "We have always been collaborative and have great working relationships with many like-minded local, state, and national organizations like the U.S. EPA, Atlanta Recycles, and the Georgia Recycling Coalition. This new partnership with CVP adds to this list and brings us additional expertise and resources. In today's budget-stretched times, private-public partnerships like this one can and will go a long way."

"Introducing large recycling carts is a proven way to impact participation and improve tonnage for local recycling programs," said Steve Thompson, executive director of CVP. "I am pleased to see Atlanta offering carts to all residents, and I applaud the mayor for his action to improve recycling. While many others may talk about improving, cities like Atlanta are being proactive and aggressive, and we look forward to working on this important campaign."

Atlanta's recycling program is managed by the Atlanta Department of Public Works and serves 95,000 households. The 96-gallon recycling carts will replace residents' current 18-gallon recycling bins; 30,000 residents already have carts, according to CVP.